


Papa-paparazzi

by rivers_bend



Series: ask box fic [3]
Category: One Direction (Band), Radio 1 RPF
Genre: Holding Hands, Homophobic Language, M/M, Paparazzi, Tumblr Ask Box Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-03
Updated: 2014-02-03
Packaged: 2018-01-11 00:10:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1166264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rivers_bend/pseuds/rivers_bend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Here is a prompt for "Fashion Baby": First time Nick and Harry hold hands in public.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Papa-paparazzi

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Fashion Baby](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1040120) by [rivers_bend](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rivers_bend/pseuds/rivers_bend). 



> The Obvious: I do not know any of the people whose names and public personas are used in this story and neither believe nor mean to imply any of this happened.

When it happens, it’s not the result of a conscious decision, or planning, or an agreement that now is the right time, and later—days later and years later too—Harry can’t decide if that’s what makes it perfect, or if it’s something he would change if he could. But he can’t, and he doesn’t regret the outcome either way, so he doesn’t dwell, just sometimes wonders. 

It happens at night, late, though some say early morning because it’s gone two. Not Harry, though, and not Nick, because they’re in agreement that if you haven’t gone to bed yet, it doesn’t count as morning until the sun comes up. Well, Nick says until after your alarm’s gone off, but he’s the one with a regular alarm, so he would. It’s late, their stories are the same on that point, and they’re a lot tired and a little drunk, no disagreement there, coming out of a karaoke bar with Collette and Pixie and Alexa, which is just facts. Where their stories differ is with who reached for whom first. 

Harry tells it like this: He was behind Nick and ahead of Pixie, their group squeezed into a single-file line by the overspill from the club next door where Jennifer Lawrence had been spotted with Nic Hoult, bringing out a legion of fans and the paparazzi, most of whom had missed Nick and Harry and their friends arriving much earlier in the evening. The screaming and flashes started as soon as they were spotted, and they all put their heads down and angled for the rank of taxis on the corner. When a particularly rude pap shouted obscenities at them, Nick’s hand shot out blindly and found Harry’s wrist, slid down, tangled their fingers together, and tugged Harry closer, close enough so Nick’s shoulders mostly blocked him from the flashes and lenses. Then he didn’t let go, and Harry didn’t either, not even when they’d cleared the bulk of the paps—reluctant to get too far from the door of the club where Jen and Nic might emerge any moment—and had some space. Not when they had to queue before getting in a cab, the more persistent photographers still snapping away and shouting questions, wanting to know what they sang, if any of the others even bother when they’re out with a pop star. Not when Alexa opened the door and ushered them inside, pushing Harry and Nick together onto the bench, Collette after them, leaving the jump seats for Pixie and herself. 

When Pixie made a point of staring at their grip on one another, Nick covered Harry’s fingers with his free hand, stroking, rubbing, pressing their hands together like he never planned to let them go. 

Nick tells it like this: The paps were everywhere, and it wasn’t until the next day he discovered it was for the one girl from the Hunger Games and her boyfriend off of Skins. Not that it mattered who they were there for once they caught sight of Harry. There must have been one followed Jennifer over from the states, because he started shouting “Faggot, faggot faggot,” at them like he was cracking some amazing code and they hadn’t just walked out of a karaoke bar with dancing pink ponies painted on the windows. Harry’d just told Nick the day before that his band was okay with him going public, and Nick thought for a moment that he’d somehow missed an interview or something and the arsehole was reacting to that, but then Harry’s hand grabbed onto his and wouldn’t let go until they were back behind the door of Nick’s flat.

The next day, the papers were filled with pictures of them holding hands and Jen and Nic getting into separate cabs, and rumours that the popstar and DJ were dating, and the actors had once again split up. 

For once, they had it right.


End file.
